Alternative Reality (Infrared Photography, Black & White, Monochrome)

Infrared photograph of a tree blowing in the wind at Historic Long Branch in Millwood, Virginia.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT:

Through infrared photography, I explore a different world - a world where grass is white, where skies are black... where rays of light reflect in unexpected ways that I cannot anticipate. I am near-blind, I cannot see. Except for my camera before me, I must trust in its vision. I wait in anticipation for it to show me this strange world of infrared....
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Infrared photograph of a tree blowing in the wind at Historic Long Branch in Millwood, Virginia.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT:

Through infrared photography, I explore a different world - a world where grass is white, where skies are black... where rays of light reflect in unexpected ways that I cannot anticipate. I am near-blind, I cannot see. Except for my camera before me, I must trust in its vision. I wait in anticipation for it to show me this strange world of infrared. And when finally revealed, I revel in the glory of this alternative reality.

All cameras have an internal filter that blocks most, if not all, infrared light from passing through it. Because the infrared blocking filter in my camera still allows a very small amount of infrared light to trickle through, I am able to do infrared photography by placing a filter on my camera lens that blocks all visible light. Thus, the camera can still make use of the trickle of infrared allowed through. Because so little light enters the camera, I use a tripod and set very long exposures, up to 10 minutes in length. The advantage of working this way is that the long exposures allow me to creatively capture the movement of my subjects - such as trees and grass blowing in the wind. I love the resulting effect, as well as the alternative reality of infrared.
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